Pallet

ABSTRACT

A two-piece, returnable pallet assembly for transporting and storing goods and materials of various types. The pallet assembly includes two corrugated platforms arranged one atop the other with their corrugations extending transverse to one another. A continuous securing strap is woven between the platforms, alternately following the corrugations on opposite sides of the assembly, to secure together the two platforms. Interlocking means comprising engaging raised embossments and apertures or elongated flanges prevent the assembled platforms from moving relative to one another.

[45] Oct. 8, 1974 United States Patent [191 Keeler FATENTEDUCY 81374 3,839,870

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HH H11 HH HH PALLET This invention relates to pallets for use in transporting and storing goods of various types, and more particularly, to a two-piece pallet assembly which is assembled into a strong, rigid, durable pallet for the transportation of goods and which is disassembled and compactly stacked for return to its point of origination or for storage purposes when it is not in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pallets for use in transporting and storing various goods and materials in industrial and other applications are very well known. Typically, the prior known pallets have consisted of wooden frameworks of boards or slats providing a generally planar platform spaced above a supporting surface by wooden cross members. This spacing provides an area into which the lifting forks of a forklift truck or other material handling vehicle may be slid to lift and transport the pallet and goods or materials which it supports on its planar platform.

Although functioning adequately for their intended purposes, the previously known pallets have generally been very bulky and difficult to both transport and store when they are not in use because of the abovedescribed spacing for lifting forks. Thus, they take up an equal amount of space when being used or when not in use. Moreover, the previously known wooden pallets have been very susceptible to breakage due to wear and mishandling. The wooden frameworks have generally only been nailed together. When subjected to heavy loads and rough handling the nailed joints have often released or broken. Consequently, the prior pallets have generally had very short useful working lives. Furthermore, these prior pallets have required large amounts of cross-bracing to provide sufficient strength to support heavy loads. This has resulted in heavier overall weights for such pallets. Therefore, although some attempts have been made to rectify these various faults, the prior known pallets have generally been undesirable from one or more of the above standpoints.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a returnable pallet assembly which may be assembled to form a strong, durable, rigid support for transporting and storing goods and materials of various types, and which may be disassembled and compactly stacked to take up a minimal amount of space for transportation and storage when not in use. A further purpose of the invention is to provide a two-piece pallet which may be produced from scrap steel sheeting or rejected steel plates thereby reducing its overall cost of manufacture. Each steel piece is corrugated for strength without necessitating extra material which would add to the total weight of the pallet assembly. Additionally, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a unique and simple means for securing together the two pieces of the pallet assembly in its functional, materials handling form while preventing those same pieces of the assembly from moving relative to one another.

In view of these objects and purposes. the invention provides a novel pallet assembly comprising two corrugated platforms formed from steel plate or sheeting. Each of the platforms includes a plurality of parallel corrugations. The corrugations have their extremities lying in two, spaced, parallel planes, the extremities lying in one plane forming a support surface for the entire pallet assembly, while the extremities lying in the other plane form a supporting surface for the second of the two platforms forming the pallet assembly. The corrugations are spaced apart at two parallel locations in order to provide integral, planar areas which receive the lifting forks of a forklift truck or other materials handling vehicle. Several of the corrugations adjacent opposing edges of the platform also include flat or planar areas lying in the above-mentioned platform supporting plane, which flat or plana-r areas include apertures receiving a continuous securing strap utilized to fasten the two platforms together to form the pallet as sembly.

The assembly of the pallet is accomplished by aligning two of the corrugated platforms with their platform supporting planar areas contacting one another and the parallel corrugations of one platform transverse or at right angles to the corrugations of the other platform. A continuous securing strap comprising a flexible strap or band of metal or strong plastic, is woven betweenthe two platforms to securely retain the platforms in contact with one another. In the preferred embodiment, two of these flexible straps are laced through the apertures provided in the flat or planar areas between the corrugations such that each strap lies within and follows one of the rectilinear corrugations from adjacent one edge of the platform to adjacent the opposite Y edge thereof. The strap then extends downwardly through one of the apertures and extends along within one of the corrugations of the opposing or second platform until another edge of the pallet assembly is reached. The strap then extends upwardly through another aperture and lies within and follows another corrugation of the first platform and so on until the strap is woven adjacent the entire periphery of the pallet assembly. The two ends of the continuous strap are then secured via a clamp or other securing means such that the two platforms are securely retained together.

To insure the continued alignment of the two platforms, and to prevent the relative movement of one platform with respect to the other, interlocking means are provided on each of the platforms. In one form of the interlocking means, each platform is provided with raised embossments and correspondingly shaped and sized apertures in the planar areas which receive the lifting forks of a materials handling vehicle. When the platforms are aligned in their assembled positions, the raised embossments of one platform are received in the apertures of the opposite platform to securely interlock the platforms. ln another form of the interlocking means, rectilinear flanges are provided along two opposing edges of each platform such that when the two platforms are assembled, the flanges on each platform will engage two edges of the opposing platform thereby preventing relative movement between the platforms.

Upon disassembly, the identical platforms may be stacked with the corrugations of'each platform aligned with those of the other platforms in a manner very similar to that used in stacking paper cups. Accordingly, the platforms take up much less room when disassem bled and stacked in this manner, thereby greatly facilitating the return of the disassembled pallets to their point of origination. Further, the disassembled and stacked pallet platforms take up only a fraction of the space required by a like number of platforms positioned in the pallet assembly orientation.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the pallet assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of approximately one-half of the pallet assembly shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of one of the corrugated pallet platforms forming the pallet assembly of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view with portions broken away of one corner of the pallet assembly of FIG. 1 showing the continuous securing straps which secure together the two pallet platforms;

FIG. 5 is a broken, cross-sectional view of the pallet assembly, taken along plane V-V of FIG. 1, illustrating a first form of the interlocking means of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view of area VI of FIG. 5 showing the first form of the interlocking means;

FIG. 7 is a perspective, schematic view illustrating the first form of the interlocking means and the continuous securing strap of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevation of a portion of the pallet assembly illustrating a second form of the interlocking means; and

FIG. 9 is an end elevation of two of the pallet platforms illustrating the stacking of the platforms when the pallet assemblies are disassembled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the figures in greater detail, FIG. l shows the pallet assembly l0 including two pallet platforms aligned and secured together, one atop the other, by means of a continuous securing strap or band 50 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 7). The pallet platforms 20 are prevented from moving relative to one another in the pallet assembly l0 by one of two types of interlocking means 60 (FIGS. 5-7) and 70 (FIG. 8). When disassembled, the individual and identical pallet platforms 20 may be compactly stacked to facilitate return of the platforms to their point or origin where they may be again reassembled and secured for reuse via the continuous securing strap 50.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, each of the individual pallet platforms 20 comprises a square or rectangular plate having a plurality of parallel corrugations 22 formed in 4the center thereof. On either side of and spaced from corrugations 22 are three corrugations 24 having generally flat or planar areas 26. All of the corrugations 22 and 24 may be simultaneously rolled or otherwise formed into the platform plates in the conventionallyknown manner. Outer corrugations 24 are spaced from central corrugations 22 by parallel, generally flat or planar areas 28. Areas 28 are two or three times wider than the flat areas 26 and form integral spaces 29 on the underside thereof. Integral spaces 29 receive the parallel lift forks of conventionally known forklift trucks and other materials handling vehicles.

Planar areas 26 and 28, as well as the extremities 23 at one end of corrugations 22, all lie in one plane. This other plane is the pallet supporting plane and is represented by line 32 in FIG. 3. These two respective planes are parallel to one another and are spaced apart by the height H of the corrugations as shown in FIG. 3. As is apparent, this height H may be varied as desired to provide various sizes of the pallet platforms 20. The size of height H will accordingly modify the size of the integral spaces 29 which receive the lift forks of a forklift or material handling truck.

As shown in FIGS. l, 2, 4 and 7, in the preferred embodiment, the pallet platforms 20 are of identical size and shape. Two of such platforms are aligned with their parallel corrugations extending transverse to or at right angles to one another to form the pallet assembly 10. The two pallet platforms 20 are secured or fastened together in their aligned, transverse positions, with their platform supporting planes 30 in contact with one another, via continuous securing means 50 comprising two continuous securing straps or bands 52. Thus, one platform 20 is inverted with respect to the other when the pallet is assembled. The straps or bands 52 are woven or interlaced between the two platforms 20 adjacent the peripheries thereof by passing the straps through elongated apertures 54 formed adjacent the corners of the platform in the generally flat or planar areas 26 of corrugations 24. Apertures 54 are formed along lines extending across the comers of each platform at 45 angles such that each of the straps S2 pass into the aperture on one side of the pallet assembly, projects downwardly through the aligned apertures in the aligned platforms, and extends along the other side of the pallet assembly at a right angle to the direction at which the strap enters aperture 54. Consequently, as f will be seen in FIG. 4, the continuous straps 52 are received in corrugations 24 adjacent the outer periphery of each platform and lie along the surface of the generally flat or planar areas 26 of those corrugations. The straps extend parallel to the corrugations 24 and lie along only the bottoms of the corrugations since, as described above, the weaving or interlacing of the straps enables them to pass through the pallet assembly and alternately follow the parallel corrugations of the opposing platforms 20.

In this connection, it is important that the corrugations of the individual platforms of the pallet assembly extend transverse to one another. As is best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the corrugations intersect one another at right angles with the flat areas 26 of outermost corrugations 24 on one platform abutting and in contact with the flat areas 26 of the opposite platform since one platform is inverted with respect to the other. Consequently, securing straps 52 extend along one flat area 26 on one platform, pass through apertures S4 and continue on at right angles to their previous directions along flat areas 26 of intersecting corrugations 24 on the opposite platform. This arrangement allows the straps to remain hidden or out of the way of loads and materials supported on the pallet assembly thereby preventing interference with or breakage of the straps. Further, the transverse arrangement of the corrugations provides the overall thickness or depth of the pallet assembly as well as separating the area in which the forks of a forklift truck are received from the supporting plane on which the load is carried by the pallet assembly. As will be more fully explained below, the corrugations also allow the platforms to be compactly stacked for storage and transportation by aligning the corrugations parallel to one another (FIG. 9).

Each continuous strap or band 52 comprises a length of flexible metallic or plastic packaging strapping of the type commonly used to bind crates and other packages. The plastic strapping may be made from nylon or other similar high-strength polymeric plastic. Each length of flexible strapping or band material has two ends which are joined via a fastener or clamp 56 as shown in FIG. 7. Clamp 56 is of the type which is conventionally applied by means of a commonly-known strap fastening tool. Since the strap fastening tools are generally large, in order to provide sufficient leverage to adequately secure the strap ends together, an enlarged area (not shown) is provided in each of the corrugations 24, at a conveniently located position where the strap ends will meet. Thus, a strap clamping tool may be placed in such an enlarged area to securely clamp the ends of the strap length 52 together.

To prevent the two pallet platforms from sliding or moving relative to one another when assembled into the pallet assembly 10, one of two types of interlocking means is provided on each pallet platform 20. A first type of interlocking means 60 is best shown in FIGS. 5-7. Interlocking means 60 comprise raised embossments 62 and correspondingly shaped and sized apertures 64 formed in each of the platforms. In the preferred embodiment, raised embossments 62 are circular in shape as are apertures 64. Embossments 62 and apertures 64 are stamped and cut into the planar areas 28 since those areas are the largest flat areas on the platforms 20. The apertures 64 have a diameter D, as shown in FIG. 6, whice is slightly larger than the overall diameter of the raised embossments 62. As shown in FIG. 7, the embossments and apertures may be alternated in each corner of the square or rectangular platforms such that they will engage or mate when one of the platforms is inverted with respect to the other and the corrugations on each platform are positioned at right angles to one another. Thus, as mentioned above, to form the pallet assembly 10, one platform is placed on a supporting surface and rests on pallet supporting plane 32 as shown in FIG. 3. Another platform 20 is then inverted, arranged and aligned with the first platform such that the corrugations extend at right angles to one another and the platform supporting planes 30 are in contact with one another. In this orientation, the raised embossments 62 and apertures 64 will be aligned as shown in FIG. 7, such that the raised embossments on the lower platform extend upwardly through apertures 64, while the raised embossments on the upper platform extend downwardly through the apertures 64 in the lower platform. Consequently, the interlocking engagement of the embossments and apertures both exactly aligns the platforms 20 with the corrugations extending at right angles to one another and prevents relative movement therebetween.

A second form 70 of the interlocking means is shown in FIG. 8. The second form comprises integral, upturned flanges 72 formed along the opposing or-opposite edges 36 and 38 (see FIGS. 3 and 8) of the pallet platforms 2l). The flanges 72 extend parallel and adjacent to the outer corrugations 24. Flanges 72 are formed to extend perpendicularly to the parallel, spaced planes 30 and 32 and engage the opposing ends of the other pallet platform 20 when two of the platforms are arranged in the pallet assembly l0. Since in the second form of the interlocking means, the upper pallet platform 20 also includes flanges 72 on its opposing edges, each opposing pallet platform including flanges 72 prevents the opposite platform from sliding or moving relative to the other. Consequently, flanges 72 maintain the respective pallet platforms 20 in their aligned positions when arranged in the pallet assembly I0 just as the raised embossments 62 and aperture 64 do in the first form 60 of the interlocking means.

Of course, both the first form 60 and the second form 70 of the interlocking means may be combined and used simultaneously on each of the pallet platforms 20. Thus, each platform could include both the alternating raised embossments 62 and apertures 64 as well as the upturned flanges 72. However, each form of the interlocking means is entirely adequate and sufficient to provide the interlocking function described above. It will also be understood that, although it is preferable `to form each of the pallet platforms 20 identically, it is possible to provide a pair of non-identical pallet platforms, one having all the raised embossments 62 provided therein while the remaining platform includes all of the apertures 64 therein. In this form, the embossments and apertures could mate with the parallel corrugations of the respective platforms either extending at right angles to one another or extending parallel to one another. It will be understood that other variations of these and other interlocking means may also be provided without deviating from the spirit of the present invention.

Just as the novel pallet platforms forming the pallet assembly 10 mate and interlock in the assembled positions as described above, the individual pallet platforms 20 may be compactly stacked when disassembled as shown in FIG. 9. Thus, several'of the platforms 20 may be arranged such that they are right side up, i.e., with the platform supporting planes 30 facing upward, with their corrugations extending parallel to one another. The platforms will therefore seat one on top of another with the total height of the stacked platforms approximating the sum of the height Il of the first platform plus the thickness T of the other platforms stacked atop the first, as shown in FIG. 9. As will now be apparent, the total height of the stacked, disassembled platforms 20 constitutes only a fraction of that of a like number of platforms assembled into pallet assemblies 10 and stacked one on top of the other. Consequently, the disassembled pallets may be more easily and conveniently transported back to their point of origination fo reuse or stored until such time as they are needed.

As mentioned above, the individual pallet platforms may be formed from scrap sheet steel or rejected steel plates thereby reducing the overall. cost of the pallet assembly and individual platforms. In the preferred embodiment, the steel sheeting or plate will have a thickness of between about 0.030 and 0.039 inches. When corrugated and assembled into the pallet assembly l0, as shown in FIG. l, the steel of this thickness will provide great strength and durability without being so heavy as to make the pallet unwieldy or unmanageable. The pallet assembly is therefore light enough to be conveniently used while being strong enough to support extremely heavy loads.

Therefore, the present novel pallet assembly provides a simply constructed, two-piece, returnable pallet for transporting goods and materials of various types. The individual platforms comprising the pallet assembly may be assembled for use in shipping or transporting goods or may be disassembled and compactly stacked for return to the point of origination for reuse. The platforms are secured together via a novel continuous or running securing strap or band which tightly binds the two pieces together. Interlocking means comprising mating embossments and apertures or upturned flanges provided on the edges of the pallet platforms are also included to prevent relative movement between the platforms in their assembled positions. The platforms may be quickly and conveniently assembled for use by weaving or interlacing the continuous straps through the apertures of the platforms provided therefor, which straps are then clamped together to secure the platforms in their aligned position. After use, the straps or bands may be clipped or separated to allow the platforms to be stacked in their disassembled positions. Consequently, the present invention provides a simple and durable pallet which is convenient to use and yet is inexpensive to manufacture.

While several forms of the invention have been shown and described, other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be understood that the embodiements shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims which follow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.

l. A pallet assembly comprising in combination two corrugated platforms, each platform having parallel corrugations extending generally in one direction; securing means for securing said platforms together with the corrugations in one platform extending in a direction generally transverse to said corrugations in the other platform; said securing means including flexible, continuous band means woven between said platforms for retaining said platforms in a fixed relationship to one another, said band means being positioned in corrugations spaced inwardly of the edges of each of said platforms and extending around the entire assembly adjacent the periphery thereof on alternating surfaces, said band means passing in one direction along an exposed surface of a corrugation of one platform, through aligned apertures spaced inwardly of the edges of said platforms and extending through the thickness of said platforms and along an exposed surface of a corrugation of the other of said platforms and so on about the entire pallet assembly.

2. The pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein said band means comprises at least one continuous strap having one joint; said strap extending along at least one corrugation of each of said platforms.

3. The pallet assembly of claim l wherein each of said platforms includes interlocking means for preventing movement of said platforms relative to one another.

4. The pallet assembly of claim 3 wherein said interlocking means comprise embossments on one of said platforms and correspondingly shaped and sized apertures on the other of said platforms.

S. The pallet assembly of claim 3 wherein said interlocking means comprise flanges on at least two of the edges of said platforms; said flanges engaging the edges of the opposing platform without flanges.

6. A pallet for transportation or storage of goods, said pallet comprising in combination two separable, interlocking platforms and continuous securing means for securing said platforms together; each of said platforms including integral interlocking means for preventing movement of said platforms relative to one another when secured together and a plurality of parallel corrugations extending between first and second parallel planes; the extremities of said corrugations supporting said pallet in said first plane and supporting the second of said two platforms in said second plane, said corrugations on said two platforms extending generally transverse to one another; said securing means being woven through aligned apertures between said platforms and alternating between and extending along corrugations on the opposing platforms, said corrugations in which said securing means extend being adjacent the periphery of said pallet whereby said securing means extend around the entire periphery of said pallet.

7. The pallet of claim 7 wherein said continuous securing means comprise continuous, flat, band means woven between said platforms.

8. The pallet of claim 6 wherein said continuous securing means comprises a length of flexible strapping laced between said two platforms adjacent the peripheries thereof, said strapping having two ends; and means for securing said ends together to form said continuous securing means.

9.7The pallet of claim 6 wherein said interlocking means comprise'at least one raised embossment and at least one aperture in each of said platforms; said aperture corresponding in shape to and slightly larger in size than said embossment; said apertures and embossments of one platform engaging the apertures and embossments of the other platform thereby preventing movement of one platform relative to the other.

10. The pallet of claim 9 wherein said aperture is formed in said second plane of each said platforms, said raised embossment extending out of said second plane of each said platforms.

1l. The pallet of claim 6 wherein said interlocking means comprise flanges on two opposite edges of each of said platforms; said flanges on each platform engaging edges of the other platform thereby preventing movement of one platform relative to the other.

12. The pallet of claim l1 wherein said flanges extend perpendicularly to said first and second planes and are parallel to the corrugations of the platform on which they are formed.

13. The pallet of claim 6 wherein said continuous securing means includes two ends and means for securing said two ends together; at least one of said corrugations receiving said continuous securing means including an enlarged area which receives said means for securing said two ends together.

14. The pallet of claim 6 wherein at least one of said corrugations adjacent the periphery of each platform includes a planar area in said second plane extending parallel to said other corrugations; said planar area providing a space receiving said continuous securing means.

l5. The pallet of claim 6 wherein each of said platforms includes integral spaces for receiving the lifting forks of a forklift truck or other material handling apparatus.

16. A platform comprising a portion of a pallet assembly; said platform including a plurality of integral corrugations adapted'to allow compact stacking of a plurality of said platforms for storage and transportation purposes; said platform including surfaces lying in one plane including the raised portions on one side of said corrugations, said surfaces adapted to support a second of said platforms whereby a pallet assembly is formed; a plurality of elongated apertures spaced inwardly of and at predetermined intervals about the periphery of said platform, said apertures adapted to replatforms.

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1. A pallet assembly comprising in combination two corrugated platforms, each platform having parallel corrugations extending generally in one direction; securing means for securing said platforms together with the corrugations in one platform exTending in a direction generally transverse to said corrugations in the other platform; said securing means including flexible, continuous band means woven between said platforms for retaining said platforms in a fixed relationship to one another, said band means being positioned in corrugations spaced inwardly of the edges of each of said platforms and extending around the entire assembly adjacent the periphery thereof on alternating surfaces, said band means passing in one direction along an exposed surface of a corrugation of one platform, through aligned apertures spaced inwardly of the edges of said platforms and extending through the thickness of said platforms and along an exposed surface of a corrugation of the other of said platforms and so on about the entire pallet assembly.
 2. The pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein said band means comprises at least one continuous strap having one joint; said strap extending along at least one corrugation of each of said platforms.
 3. The pallet assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said platforms includes interlocking means for preventing movement of said platforms relative to one another.
 4. The pallet assembly of claim 3 wherein said interlocking means comprise embossments on one of said platforms and correspondingly shaped and sized apertures on the other of said platforms.
 5. The pallet assembly of claim 3 wherein said interlocking means comprise flanges on at least two of the edges of said platforms; said flanges engaging the edges of the opposing platform without flanges.
 6. A pallet for transportation or storage of goods, said pallet comprising in combination two separable, interlocking platforms and continuous securing means for securing said platforms together; each of said platforms including integral interlocking means for preventing movement of said platforms relative to one another when secured together and a plurality of parallel corrugations extending between first and second parallel planes; the extremities of said corrugations supporting said pallet in said first plane and supporting the second of said two platforms in said second plane, said corrugations on said two platforms extending generally transverse to one another; said securing means being woven through aligned apertures between said platforms and alternating between and extending along corrugations on the opposing platforms, said corrugations in which said securing means extend being adjacent the periphery of said pallet whereby said securing means extend around the entire periphery of said pallet.
 7. The pallet of claim 7 wherein said continuous securing means comprise continuous, flat, band means woven between said platforms.
 8. The pallet of claim 6 wherein said continuous securing means comprises a length of flexible strapping laced between said two platforms adjacent the peripheries thereof, said strapping having two ends; and means for securing said ends together to form said continuous securing means.
 9. The pallet of claim 9 wherein said interlocking means comprise at least one raised embossment and at least one aperture in each of said platforms; said aperture corresponding in shape to and slightly larger in size than said embossment; said apertures and embossments of one platform engaging the apertures and embossments of the other platform thereby preventing movement of one platform relative to the other.
 10. The pallet of claim 9 wherein said aperture is formed in said second plane of each said platforms, said raised embossment extending out of said second plane of each said platforms.
 11. The pallet of claim 6 wherein said interlocking means comprise flanges on two opposite edges of each of said platforms; said flanges on each platform engaging edges of the other platform thereby preventing movement of one platform relative to the other.
 12. The pallet of claim 11 wherein said flanges extend perpendicularly to said first and second planes and are parallel to the corrugations of the platform on which they are formed.
 13. The pallet of claim 6 wherein said continuous securing means includes two ends and means for securing said two ends together; at least one of said corrugations receiving said continuous securing means including an enlarged area which receives said means for securing said two ends together.
 14. The pallet of claim 6 wherein at least one of said corrugations adjacent the periphery of each platform includes a planar area in said second plane extending parallel to said other corrugations; said planar area providing a space receiving said continuous securing means.
 15. The pallet of claim 6 wherein each of said platforms includes integral spaces for receiving the lifting forks of a forklift truck or other material handling apparatus.
 16. A platform comprising a portion of a pallet assembly; said platform including a plurality of integral corrugations adapted to allow compact stacking of a plurality of said platforms for storage and transportation purposes; said platform including surfaces lying in one plane including the raised portions on one side of said corrugations, said surfaces adapted to support a second of said platforms whereby a pallet assembly is formed; a plurality of elongated apertures spaced inwardly of and at predetermined intervals about the periphery of said platform, said apertures adapted to receive continuous securing means for weaving said platform to a second of said platforms; and integral interlocking means for engaging another of said platforms and preventing relative movement between said platforms.
 17. The platform of claim 16 wherein said interlocking means comprise raised embossments and apertures for receiving said embossments.
 18. The platform of claim 16 wherein said interlocking means comprise flanges on at least two edges of said platforms. 